Police investigate rash of armed robberies and burglary in Salinas

UPDATE 12/6/2016 5:40 PM:

A string of recent armed robberies have put businesses in East Salinas on edge. Within the last 24 hours, Salinas police have responded to three armed robberies and a burglary.

On Monday night, an armed man robbed the Jalisco Bakery on East Laurel Drive. He was described as a Hispanic male adult, mid to late 20’s, 6’1″ and weighing 180-190 pounds. He was wearing a black hoodie with it pulled up over his face. He was last seen headed southbound on Grenada.

About an hour later, a man robbed the Panadería Tres Hermanos Bakery on East Alisal Street.

“They pointed a gun at my nephew,” Yanely Suarez Aguilar said. “I don’t know exactly what happened but they did take off with money from the cash register.”

He was described as a Hispanic male adult, mid 20’s, standing 5’10” and a medium build. He was wearing a grey sweatshirt with a yellow rag over his face. Police say he was armed with a double barreled shotgun.

On Tuesday morning, Gloria Castelan just finished helping a customer at Sanborn Gas when she was robbed.

“She was going out and a guy came in and he pushed her right on the register and he put a gun on her neck,” Castelan explained. “He asked me for the money, so I gave him the money.”

Police say there’s still no word whether these cases are related, but they are investigating that. They say crimes like these aren’t unusual this time of year.

“We tend to see upticks this time of year, for whatever reason,” Salinas Police Commander Sheldon Bryan said. “Property crimes, armed robberies, they tend to go up right around the holidays and so we ask people be aware of their surroundings.”

Bryan said security cameras normally deter robberies. All three businesses did have them installed, and while it didn’t stop these thieves, it’s still a good idea to have them. They also recommend security alarms.

That’s what tipped off one business owner on North Main Street. Police say James Armijo, 27, broke into China Garden Restaurant and stole equipment and food. It triggered an alarm that notified the owner. He caught him, and after fighting with him, eventually held him at bay until police arrived.

In the meantime, local businesses on the east side say, they’re banding together to stay safe.

“We’re installing cameras and we’re working with our neighbors,” Juan Manuel Covarrubia of Mercado Azteca said. “If we see something suspicious, we decided to all go out and help each other.”

ORIGINAL POST:

In the space of a few hours, four Salinas businesses were robbed Monday and Tuesday. Police say at least three of the businesses had surveillance cameras, but that didn’t seem to deter the robbers.

Two bakeries were hit first.

Police report an armed man took cash from a bakery in the 500 block of East Laurel Drive at around 7:42 p.m. Monday. Just over an hour later, a man armed with a shotgun robbed a bakery in the 500 block of Alisal Street.

Early Tuesday morning, a restaurant owner thwarted a burglary attempt when he detained a suspect on North Main Street.

In a fourth incident, a Salinas gas station in the 1000 block of East Market was robbed.

Tonight, KION’s Mariana Hicks talks to employees and investigators about the string of burglary/robberies.